Lu Xiaoxiao’s pupils dilated to their utmost limit.
She stared blankly at Lin Cheng’s face, but his expression was utterly ordinary, showing no hint of bragging about how cool or powerful he was—like he was just mentioning some offhand triviality.
“You… how did you hold on?”
“I hated them.” Lin Cheng somehow conjured a lollipop and popped it into his mouth.
“Hated them?”
“I didn’t know why I joined the Alliance, or why I became a hero, or even why I had to protect this world. But I did it anyway. Maybe protecting the world was the same as protecting myself. Then one day, monsters killed my teammates right in front of me—in the most brutal way imaginable. And there was nothing I could do. From that day on, I couldn’t sleep anymore. The moment I closed my eyes, I’d see that scene all over again.”
“So I hated them. With that kind of hatred, who needs to force themselves to persist? The instant I saw those monsters, endless strength surged through my body. My mind went blank except for one thought: kill them all.”
Lin Cheng pulled out another lollipop and stuffed it into Lu Xiaoxiao’s mouth.
“But my hatred has nothing to do with you. Living with hate all the time isn’t good either. Once Si Ming sealed the Abyss, I didn’t even know who to hate anymore. In the years after I retired, I still couldn’t sleep at night. With the fire of revenge extinguished, all that was left was emptiness. And let me tell you, that feeling sucks.”
“The world’s at peace now. No more fighting the Abyss. So honestly, you don’t need to push yourself so hard.” Lin Cheng’s voice softened a touch.
Truth be told, he’d been a little disappointed earlier.
But then he thought about it—Lu Xiaoxiao had already done pretty damn well, dying dozens of times and all. With the world at peace now, there wasn’t much reason to keep grinding to get stronger anyway. If the sky fell, there’d always be taller folks to hold it up.
As long as she stopped whining about her own powerlessness from here on out.
Back in those days, he hadn’t had a choice. If he could have, he’d have loved for someone taller to take the burden. But fate had awakened in him. There were plenty of people with stronger wills than his, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t change a damn thing.
Lin Cheng stood up. “Only three minutes have passed in the real world. Ready to log out?”
Lu Xiaoxiao crunched through the lollipop in her mouth and rose to her feet. She met Lin Cheng’s eyes. “I want to try again.”
“Suit yourself. Just say the word if you want to quit.”
Lin Cheng kept the lollipop between his teeth and swung at Lu Xiaoxiao’s head again. She dodged, and he added, “You really don’t have to go this hard. Maybe I’ve been too strict with you.”
“If you can do it… so can I.” A deep stubbornness burned in Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes.
Lin Cheng paused, then burst out laughing. “Alright then. Show me.”
Her 267th rebirth.
Lu Xiaoxiao eyed the health bar above Lin Cheng’s head—down to just three percent.
Her gaze had narrowed to pure obsession now, every other thought purged from her mind. All that remained was the drive to kill him. Lin Cheng thought the look was strangely familiar, like staring into a mirror of his past self through those eyes.
In the instant he zoned out, Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand pierced his chest and crushed his heart.
Blood sprayed across Lu Xiaoxiao’s face as Lin Cheng’s body slowly toppled over.
“Not bad,” his voice whispered, faint as a breath.
Lu Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision filled with the ceiling once more. The black-red blood threads binding them were fading away. She turned to look at Lin Cheng, who smiled back at her.
“267 lives to take down one of mine? That’s not a win. You’ll need at least ten-to-one to pass.”
“Someday I’ll kill you in one go!”
“Sure, sure. But first, let’s get up and grab some food?”
Lin Cheng sat up from the bed like nothing had happened, but exhaustion crashed over Lu Xiaoxiao like a wave. He headed to the kitchen, found some instant noodles, and boiled two bowls. He brought them over and set one in front of her.
“Eat up and rest. We’ll pick it back up this afternoon.”
Lu Xiaoxiao sat up and shoveled the noodles down at the table. Once full, she lifted her head slowly. This time, she finally got why Lin Cheng was so unflappably chill.
She was starting to understand it all.
After the meal, Lin Cheng stepped behind her and gently massaged her shoulders. The fatigue in her mind eased a bit. His hands soon slid to her waist. Lu Xiaoxiao bowed her head and murmured, “Rub my chest too.”
“? How are you so bold about seducing me?”
Even as he spoke, Lin Cheng’s fingertips eased the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders. The fabric didn’t fall, though—it clung to her breasts until he gave another gentle tug, letting it bunch at her waist.
Lu Xiaoxiao’s back arched straight, her body leaning into the chair’s backrest, cheeks flushing hot and red.
A good while later, Lin Cheng pulled the straps back up for her. Lu Xiaoxiao drew a deep breath, about to say something, when he extended a hand. “Sun’s shining nice outside. Let’s go soak it up.”
On the grassy lawn outside the villa.
Lin Cheng lay on the soft turf, gazing up at the drifting white clouds, lazily sunbathing. Lu Xiaoxiao lay beside him, her cheek nuzzling into his neck. For some reason, she suddenly felt like doing… something.
Lin Cheng spoke up languidly. “Dying that much stirs up some urges on instinct. Totally normal. Just rein it in.”
In simple terms, she was horny.
“Why?”
“No clue.”
Lin Cheng rolled onto his side on the grass, facing her. Their eyes locked. He reached out and lightly drew her waist close. “Nap time.”
Lu Xiaoxiao lifted a leg and hooked it over him, her porcelain-pale body bathed in sunlight.
When she woke, Lu Xiaoxiao met his eyes. “Let’s go.”
The black-red blood threads coiled around them again. Lu Xiaoxiao’s consciousness blurred. When it cleared, they were back in the Bamboo Grove. Before her floated the “Choose Your Battle Outfit” menu. The sports uniform was gone.
“Where’s the sports uniform?”
“It disappears after one use. Makes sense, right?”
“Go to hell.” Grudgingly, Lu Xiaoxiao selected the maid skirt. She glanced down—damn it, her legs were sheathed in black silk pantyhose. She launched a flying kick at Lin Cheng. He could see her control over her energy now—impressively precise.
The fear of death unlocked hidden potential.
And really, most things just took getting used to. Soon enough, Lu Xiaoxiao adapted to taking punches to the gut from Lin Cheng. As long as her health bar wasn’t zeroed, she could keep chipping away at his. Pain, it turned out, could become routine too.
In those ten-second gaps between deaths, she always wanted to quit. But then she’d remember this guy had died hundreds of thousands of times. They were both human—if he could do it, why not her? So she’d grit her teeth and charge back in.
This round, it took her 232 lives to drain his health bar.
But moments later, Lin Cheng’s bar refilled. He gazed at Lu Xiaoxiao’s face and smiled. “Today’s goal: kill me within 200 lives. Fail, and you’re not leaving.”
Her 1,008th revival.
Lu Xiaoxiao had lost track of time, her mind a blank slate. Finally, on her 197th life, she took Lin Cheng down. Across all 1,008 revivals, he’d only died four times total.
The world before her shattered, brightness returning.
Mental exhaustion pinned Lu Xiaoxiao to the spot; she couldn’t lift a finger. Lin Cheng headed to the kitchen and soon returned with two plates of egg fried rice. He spoon-fed her bite by bite. Lu Xiaoxiao lay on the bed, her eyes complex.
Once she was full, she murmured from the bed, “Bite me.”
Lin Cheng grabbed her arm and chomped down.
“Not… like that.” Lu Xiaoxiao turned her face away.
“I don’t get it.”
“You do.” She turned back to him.
“Why the sudden urge?”
“No idea… just want to.”
“Biology kicks in near-death—instinct to reproduce. All those deaths tricked your brain into weird cravings. You still want to get frisky knowing that?”
“Why ask if you know?”
“To make you sure.”
“I’m sure.”
“Really, really sure?”
Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and smiled at Lin Cheng. “When are you gonna die?”
“Oh? Then hug your own legs.” Lin Cheng winked at her.
Lu Xiaoxiao slowly raised her arms, lifting her legs a bit and hooking her fingertips into the insides of her thighs. Her nightgown slid down to her waist, revealing white lace panties beneath the hem.
The usually cool Lu Xiaoxiao had plenty of cute outfits, while the ever-gentle Xu Wanyue owned all the sexy, teasing ones. Huh.
Lu Xiaoxiao glanced at Lin Cheng, lost in thought, and turned her face away shyly—the pose was too embarrassing to meet his eyes.
“You’re such a jerk…” she muttered softly.
Lu Xiaoxiao found it all so strange.
He knew she was clear-headed, but she’d said all those words herself. She remembered her old vow: never a third time, absolutely not. Vows like that were made to be broken by oneself, it seemed.
How many self-deceptions did a person tell in one lifetime?
Her toes tensed, then slowly relaxed. Her fine brows furrowed slightly; she bit her lip. Only when her palm brushed her cheek did she realize how burning hot it was.
Lu Xiaoxiao looked up at him with a wronged expression, lifting her legs to hook around his waist. Her snowy, slender calves crossed like an interwoven bow.
Her hands covered her face, but she couldn’t help peeking through her fingers, eyes timidly meeting his.
“So innocent,” Lin Cheng muttered suddenly.
The next second, the shyness in Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes turned to annoyed embarrassment.
She snatched the pillow beside her and whacked him over the head with her last bit of strength.
Late at night.
After showering, Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao returned to the room. She nestled into his arms and looked up.
The room was dark, unlit. Lu Xiaoxiao’s voice was soft. “So… what are we now?”
Lin Cheng was speechless for a moment.
…Crap. Hooked again.
You’ve been screwed over by Jiang Lingxue your whole life, Lin Cheng. You figured since you’d been with other women and they never asked for more, she was just horny and wanted some fun. Well, now what? How you gonna talk your way out?
Lin Cheng racked his brain for four or five seconds but came up empty on how to answer.
The next moment, Lu Xiaoxiao whispered, “I think… I really like you, Lin Cheng.”
It was over.
